Fluid collection device having tilting retractable needle

ABSTRACT

A medical device is provided for collecting fluid samples from a patient, such as blood samples. The device includes a needle having a forward sharpened tip that is retracted into the housing of the device after use to prevent exposure to the contaminated needle. The rearward end of the housing is open, forming a socket for receiving a fluid container, such as a vacuum tube, that will receive the fluid sample. A needle retainer releasably retains the needle in the extended position against the rearward bias of a biasing element. After use, the medical professional retracts the needle by pressing an actuation button, allowing the biasing element to displace the needle rearwardly. A guide track guides the needle during retraction, tilting the needle off-axis.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fluid collection devices for samplingfluid from a patient. More specifically, the invention relates to such adevice having a retractable needle feature for rendering the devicenon-reusable and safely disposable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of medical devices employ a needle for piercing the skinof a patient for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. One such device isa phlebotomy or blond collection device that includes a needle forpiercing a blood vessel of the patient to allow blood to be sampled fromthe patient. When the needle is inserted into the blood vessel of thepatient, blood is withdrawn through the needle into a vacuum collectiontube. Handling of such needle-bearing medical devices after the needleis withdrawn from the patient can result in transmission of variouspathogens, most notably human immune virus (HIV), to uninfected medicalpersonnel, due to an inadvertent needle stick.

Since the mid-1980s, concern over the risk of accidental needle stickinjuries has spawned a number of design approaches fur safety needledevices. Such devices can be broadly categorized as sliding sheathneedle devices, wherein a physical barrier is positioned about theneedle tip after use, and as needle-retraction devices, wherein the tipof the needle is retracted into the device after use.

The known devices suffer from one of several problems, includingcomplicated structures that increase the cost of manufacturing thedevice. A safety needle product may be safe, but if it is too expensive,it will not be accepted, and the benefits of the safety product willnever be recognized by the medical community. In addition, many devicesrequire awkward or cumbersome actions to cause the needle to retract.The more complicated it is to retract a needle, the less likely it isthat the medical professional will take the time to retract the needle,particularly in emergency situations.

In addition, in the field of phlebotomy, many of the known devices donot adequately protect against inadvertent contact with the non-patienttip of the needle. Since a person's finger is generally smaller than therearward opening of a phlebotomy device, the rearward end of the needleremains a safety concern after it has been contaminated with a patient'sblood. The known medical devices do not adequately address theprotection needed to efficiently shield both the forward and rearwardends of the needle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the foregoing, the present invention provides a safetymedical device having a retractable needle. The present invention isparticularly suited for operation in connection with a fluid containersuch as a vacuum tube used for phlebotomy. The device includes a needlehaving a sharpened tip for piercing a patient. Preferably, the needle isdouble-ended having a rearward sharpened tip for piercing a seal on afluid container. After use, the needle is retracted into the housing ofthe device so that the forward end of the needle is enclosed to preventinadvertent contact with the contaminated needle.

The invention includes a biasing element such as a spring that biasesthe needle rearwardly toward the retracted position in which the needleis enclosed within the housing. The needle retainer releasably retainsthe needle against the bias of the spring so that the forward tip of theneedle is exposed for use. After use, the medical professional actuatesretraction to release the needle so that the spring displaces the needlerearwardly into the retracted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide for guiding theneedle when the needle is displaced between the projecting position andthe retracted position. The guide includes at least one track and atleast one guide tab connected with the needle, and projecting intooperative engagement with the track. The track has an axial portionextending substantially parallel to the axis of the housing and atransverse portion extending transverse the axis of the barrel so thatduring retraction the needle is tilted so that the needle is disposedtransverse the axis of the housing in the retracted position.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pocket for receivingand protecting the rearward sharpened tip of the needle when the needleis disposed in the retracted position. The pocket may be formed in acylindrical insert that lines the housing. Preferably, the insertfurther includes a wing projecting forwardly and intersecting the guide.The wing has a lower edge configured in the shape of the transverseportion of the track, wherein the lower edge of the wing forms asidewall of the transverse portion of the track.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary as well as the detailed description below will bebetter understood when read in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a medical device having aretractable needle manifesting aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the medical device illustrated in FIG.1, partially in section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the medical device illustrated in FIG.1, partially in section, showing the needle in a retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the medical device illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the medical device illustratedin FIG. 1, showing the needle in a retracted position;

FIG. 6 is a right-side view of the barrel of the medical deviceillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an insert forming part of the medicaldevice illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a right-side view of the insert illustrated in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings in general, and to FIG. 1 specifically, aneedle-bearing medical device is designated generally 10. The device 10is operable in connection with a fluid container 80, such as a fluidsampling container for use in drawing blood samples. The device 10includes a double ended needle 62. The forward end of the needle isinserted into the patient and the rearward end of the needle pierces aseal 82 on the container 80. After use, the container is removed, and ifdesired, further containers 80 are used to take further samples whilethe forward end of the needle remains in the patient. After the lastcontainer 80 is removed, the needle is retracted into the device 10 toprotect against inadvertent contact with the contaminated needle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device includes five elements or subassemblies:a needle assembly 60, a substantially hollow barrel 20, a spring 70, aneedle holder 40, and an insert 50. Referring to FIG. 4, the needle 62projects forwardly from the forward end of the barrel. The spring 70biases the needle rearwardly, while the needle holder 40 releasablyretains the needle 62 against the rearward bias of the spring 70. Theneedle holder 40 includes a needle retainer 44 having a pushbutton 46operable by the medical professional using the device 10. After use, themedical professional depresses the button 46 to retract the needle.After the button is pressed, the spring displaces the needle holder 40and needle 62 rearwardly. As the needle is retracted, a guide track 30formed in the interior wall of the barrel 20 guides the needle so thatthe needle tilts off-axis, as shown in FIG. 5.

The details of the barrel 20 will now be described more fully withreference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6. The barrel is a hollow, generallycylindrical element having an open rearward end for receiving the fluidcontainer 80. The forward end tapers radially inwardly forming a nose 22having an opening 23 for receiving the needle assembly 60. The nose 22can be formed so that it tapers inwardly around the entire circumferenceof the barrel. However, as shown in FIG. 1, the sides of the nosegenerally do not taper radially inwardly. Instead, only the top andbottom surfaces of the barrel taper inwardly forming a flattenedwedge-shaped nose 22.

In this way, the nose 22 has a top face 24 and a bottom face 25. The twofaces 24, 25 may be curved circumferentially as shown in FIG. 1, and,preferably the radius of curvature of the top and bottom faces issignificantly larger than the radius of curvature of the side portionsof the nose. In addition, preferably, the bottom face 25 tapers inwardlyat a greater angle relative to the central barrel axis than the top face25, as can be seen in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, an annular support collar 26 intersects the noseopening 23 forming a reduced diameter cylindrical bore within the nose22. The support collar 26 aligns the needle assembly 60 with the needleholder 40 and supports the needle assembly and the needle holder.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced axially elongated ribs 28 areprovided for aligning the fluid container 80 when it is inserted intothe device to ensure that the container is substantially centered withinthe housing so that the rearward end of the needle pierces the seal ofthe container. The ribs 28 are integrally formed with the barrel 20 sothat the ribs protrude radially inwardly from the inner surface of thebarrel.

The interior wall of the barrel is relieved to form a recess forreceiving the insert 50. More specifically, the barrel is relieved in ashape to cooperate with the shape and thickness of the insert 50 to forma smooth wall transition between the interior of the insert 50 and theinterior of the barrel 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. An alignment key 51shown in FIG. 1, integrally formed at the rearward end of the insert 50cooperates with a recess formed at the rearward end of the barrel tocircumferentially align the insert relative to the barrel.

The barrel 20 further includes a pair of guide tracks 30 formed in itsinner wall, which guide the needle assembly 60 and needle bolder 40during retraction. Preferably, the guide tracks 30 are disposed inopposing relation and are substantially a mirror of one another aboutthe central axis of the device 10. Each guide track 30 comprises agroove support channel formed in the barrel wall. However, if desired,the guide tracks can be slots through the wall instead of grooves. Inaddition, although the device is described as having a pair of guidetracks, the device can be configured to use only a single guide trackformed in the barrel.

The guide track 30 includes two portions, an axial portion 32 extendingsubstantially parallel to the central axis of the device, and atransverse portion 34 intersecting the axial portion and extendingtransverse the central axis of the device. The groove of the guide track30 has an upper wall 35 and a lower wall 36. The groove can be formed sothat the upper and lower walls 35, 36 extend along the entire length ofthe axial portion 32 and the transverse portion 34. However, asdescribed further below, the barrel 20 can be molded more efficiently ifone of the track walls 35, 36 does not extend along the entire length ofthe track.

Specifically, in the present instance, the upper wall 35 of the guidetrack 30 extends along the axial portion 32 but does not extend alongthe entire length of the transverse portion 34. The height of the upperwall 35 reduces along the length of the transverse portion 34 to a pointat which there is no longer an upper wall 35 of the groove formed in thebarrel. In other words, the upper wall 35 feathers out into a recessformed in the barrel for receiving the insert 50, which has a pair ofwings 52. These wings 52 form the upper wall of the groove along thetransverse portion 34 as discussed further below.

Referring to FIG. 7, the insert 50 is a hollow, generally cylindricalelement. The insert 50 is separately formed from the barrel 20 and thenpreferably fixedly connected with the barrel. The insert 50 may beconnected to the barrel in a variety of ways, such as adhesive orultrasonic welding. However, in the present instance, the insert andbarrel are snap fit together. Specifically, a circumferential ribprojecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the rearward endof the insert engages an annular groove in the interior wall of therearward end of the barrel.

A pair of axially elongated slots 54, 57 extend rearwardly from theforward end of the insert, terminating adjacent the rearward end of theinsert. The first slot 54 is located on the upper half of the insert,and provides clearance for the needle holder 40 as the needle isretracted, so that the insert does not interfere with the needle holder,which would impede retraction as can be seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7. Thesecond slot 57 is located on the lower half of the insert 50, opposingthe first slot 54. The rear wall 58 at the terminal end of the lowerslot 57, together with the walls of the lower slot, form a pocket 56 forprotecting the rearward end of the needle after the needle is retracted,as shown in FIGS. 3, 5.

The interior of the insert is configured to form a socket for receivingthe fluid container 80. Specifically, the interior of the insert 50 isconfigured to locate and center the fluid container to minimize lateralmovement of the fluid container within the device 10. As shown in FIGS.7-8, the interior sidewalls of the insert have substantially planerportions that projects inwardly from the generally curved interiorsurface of the insert. The upper and lower interior walls have axiallyelongated ribs 59a, 59b that straddle the upper and lower slots 54, 57projecting radially inwardly from the generally curved interior surfaceof the insert.

A pair of opposing wings 52 project forwardly from the forward end ofthe body of the insert. The wings are substantially parallel to oneanother and the central axis of the insert, opposing one another. Thewings 52 preferably have a thickness that is substantially similar tothe depth of the guide track 30 groove. The lower edge 53 of each wing52 forms a curve having a shape or curvature similar to the transverseportion 34 of the guide track 30.

As discussed previously, the groove that forms the rearward end of theguide track formed in the barrel opens up because the upper wall of thetransverse portion of the groove feathers out into a recess in thebarrel so that there is no upper wall. Instead, the lower edge 53 of thewings 52 form the upper wall 35 of the guide track 30 along thetransverse portion 34 of the guide track as follows.

During assembly, the insert 50 is aligned with and connected to thebarrel 20 so that the lower edge 53 of each arms is circumferentiallyspaced apart from the lower wall 36 of the guide track along thetransverse portion 34. The insert is located so that the configurationof the lower edge 53 of each arm 52 is substantially parallel to thelower wall 36 of the transverse portion 34 of the guide track groove. Inthis way, the transverse portion 34 of the guide track is formed by thelower edge 53 of each wing arm 52 and the open groove formed in theinterior surface of the barrel 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the details of the needle holder 40 willbe described in greater detail. The needle holder 40 is configured tocooperate with the needle assembly 60. The needle holder includes agenerally cylindrical central hub 42, a needle retainer 44 projectingradially outwardly from the hub and a pair of opposing guide arms 48projecting outwardly from the hub. The hub 42 is hollow, having a borefor receiving the needle assembly 60.

The guide arms 48 cooperate with the guide track 30 to guide the needleholder during retraction. Specifically, the guide arms project radiallyoutwardly from the hub 42 opposing one another. The terminal end of eachguide arm 48 forms a tab 49 configured to cooperate with the channel ofthe guide track 30. The guide tab 49 projects into the groove of theguide track 30 so that during retraction the guide arm 48 and theattached hub 42 follow the track. The guide arms 48 are radiallydeformable, and may be formed so that the guide arms are biased radiallyoutwardly to ensure that the labs 49 engage the guide tracks 30.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, the needle holder 40 is operable between anextended position and a retracted position. In the extended position,the needle holder hub 42 is located within and supported by the supportcollar 26 located inside the forward end of the barrel. The supportcollar centers the needle holder and the attached needle assembly 60 sothat the needle assembly is substantially centered in the barrel and theneedle is substantially parallel to the central axis of the barrel. Inthe retracted position, the needle holder 40 and attached needleassembly 60 are displaced rearwardly into the barrel 20.

The spring 70 is a coil spring circumscribing the needle 62. The forwardend of the spring bears against the forward end of the barrel 20 and therearward end of the spring bears against the needle holder 40.

The needle retainer 44 attached to the hub 42 releasably retains theneedle against the rearward bias of the spring 70. The needle retainercomprises an elongated radially deformable arm 45 and a button or latch46 integrally formed at the terminal end of the arm. Preferably, theneedle retainer is molded so that the arm is biased radially outwardlyto bias the button 46 into engagement with an aperture 27 in the barrel20. The button 46 operates as a latch engaging the rim of the aperture27 in the barrel. The button 46 projects into the aperture so that it isexposed for manual actuation by the medical professional.

The needle may be fixedly attached to the needle holder 40 duringmanufacture. However, preferably the needle is configured as an elementof a separate needle assembly 60 so that it can be attached to theneedle holder either by the manufacturer or by the medical professionalprior to use. In the present instance, the needle assembly includes adouble ended needle 62, a hub 64, a forward needle cover 68 and apierceable needle cover 67 that covers the rearward end of the needle.The needle hub 64 is configured to cooperate with the needle holder 40to attach the needle assembly 60 to the needle holder. For instance, theneedle hub 64 may include external threads that the threadedly engageinternal threads in the bore of the needle holder 40. However, in thepresent instance, the needle hub 64 and the needle holder 40 areconnected by an interference or friction fit.

The needle hub 64 includes a bore through which the needle 62 extends,and the needle hub is bonded to the needle by adhesive. The rearward endof the needle hub 64 forms a barb for attaching the needle cover 66 tothe needle hub. The rear needle cover 66 is formed of a pierceableresealable elastomeric material. The forward needle cover 67 is formedof a hard plastic.

As shown in FIG. 4, prior to use the rear needle cover 67 encloses therearward end of the needle. During use, a fluid container 80 is insertedinto the device so that the rearward end of the needle pierces a seal 82on the fluid container. As the fluid container is mounted on the needle,the fluid container seal 82 compresses the needle seal 66 along thelength of the needle. As the fluid container compresses the needle seal,the needle pierces the rear needle cover and then pierces the fluidcontainer seal. When the fluid container is removed, the rear needlecover resiliently rebounds to re-extend over the needle to form afluid-tight seal over the rearward end of the needle. This preventsfluid from leaking out the rearward end of the needle when a fluidcontainer is not engaged.

Configured as described above, the device 10 operates as follows. Themedical professional connects the needle assembly to the needle holder40 by attaching the needle hub 64 to the needle holder hub 42. After theneedle assembly 60 is attached, the forward needle cover 67 is removed.This is the configuration of the device 10 prior to use illustrated inFIG. 4.

The medical professional then inserts the needle into a patient's veinand then inserts a vacuum tube 80 into the rearward end of the barreland displaces the vacuum tube forwardly until the needle pierces theseal 82 of the vacuum tube and the forward end of the tube is seatedagainst the needle holder hub 42. Blood flows from the patient into thevacuum tube 80.

Frequently multiple samples are taken. In such situations, the firstvacuum tube is removed from the device. After removing the vacuum tube,the needle cover 66 extends over the rearward end of the needle to sealthe needle so that blood does not continue to flow from the patientthrough the needle and leak out the back end of the needle while thereis no vacuum tube mounted in the device. Further samples can be taken ina plurality of vacuum tubes in a manner similar to that as describedabove, while the needle remains in the patient.

After the final sample is taken, the medical professional removes thelast vacuum tube. The used needle is contaminated with the patient'sblood so it should be shielded to prevent an accidental needle stick.Accordingly, the medical professional actuates retraction to shield theneedle.

Specifically, the medical professional presses the button 46 inwardly,so that the button disengages the locking aperture 27 in the barrel. Asthe button 46 is pressed, the needle retainer arm 45 deforms radiallyinwardly. Once the button disengages the locking aperture, the spring 70displaces the needle rearwardly.

As the spring retracts the needle, the needle holder 40 follows theguide track 30. During the first part of retraction, the needle isdisplaced rearwardly parallel to the central axis of the barrel. Theupper slot 54 in the insert 50 and an axial groove in the top of thebarrel 20 provide clearance for the needle retainer arm 45 and button 46as they are retracted rearwardly. After the guide arms 48 of the needleholder engages the transverse portion 34 of the guide track 30,continued rearward displacement displaces the needle rearwardly, whilesimultaneously tilting the needle away from the central axis of thebarrel.

As shown in FIG. 5, preferably the diameter of the spring 70 issufficiently large so that as the needle tilts, the forward tip of theneedle stays within the interior of the spring so that the needle doesnot engage the spring, which could impede retraction. For this reason,the needle is laterally offset from the centerline of the spring. Asshown in FIG. 4, in the extended position, the needle assembly 60 iscloser to the bottom of the spring than the top of the spring. In thisway, a needle can tilt through a greater angle for a given diameterspring without interfering with the spring.

At the end of retraction, the rearward edge of the guide tabs 49 engagea shoulder on the insert that forms the rear wall of the guide tracks30. The end wall operates as a stop limiting rearward displacement ofthe needle assembly 60.

Since both ends of the needle are sharpened, is desirable to protectboth ends of the needle against inadvertent contact. In addition, sincethe rear opening of the barrel is larger than an average person'sfinger, simply retracting the needle rearwardly may not adequatelyprotect against the risk of contacting the rearward end of the needle.Accordingly, preferably, the needle is tilted off axis, as describedabove. In addition, preferably, the rear tip of the retracted needle isprotected as discussed further below.

As described previously, a pocket is formed at the rearward end of thebarrel. The pocket 56 is formed by the insert, which has a lower slot 57terminating in an end wall 58. The transverse portion 34 of the guidetracks are aligned with the slot and the pocket 56. Accordingly,rearward displacement of the needle displaces the rearward tip of theneedle into the pocket so that the pocket 56 shields the rear tip of theneedle. Specifically, the rear needle tip is displaced into the slot 54and behind the end wall 58, which prevent inadvertent contact with thecontaminated needle. The device 10 can then be safely discarded.

Since the needle is tilted off-axis, the needle cannot be readilyre-extended. However, it is desirable to include a lock or stop forimpeding forward displacement of the needle after retraction to preventre-extension of the contaminated needle.

Accordingly, the device includes a stop 39 disposed in at least one, andpreferably both of the guide tracks 30 adjacent the rearward end of eachguide track. The forward face of each stop 39 is tapered forming a ramp.The rearward face of each stop forms a shoulder that is substantiallyperpendicular to the guide track. As the needle is retracted, the guidetabs 49 ride in the guide track. The guide tabs are mounted on guidearms, which are flexible. Therefore, near the end of retraction, theguide tabs ride up the tapered face of the corresponding stop 39. As theguide tabs ride up the ramps, the arms 48 deflect radially inwardly.After the guide labs ride over the stops, the guide tabs snap back intothe guide tracks. Since the rearward face of each stop 39 forms ashoulder, the stops engage the guide tabs to impede re-extending theneedle 62 after retraction.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation. There is no intention in the use ofsuch terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the featuresshown and described or portions thereof. It will be recognized by thoseskilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to theabove-described embodiments without departing from the broad inventiveconcepts of the invention. For instance, as described above, the pocket56 that protects the rear needle tip is formed from the lower slot walls57 and the end wall 58. However, the slot could be eliminated so thatthe pocket is formed simply by a lip projecting radially inwardly thatprevents contact with the sharpened tip. It should therefore beunderstood that this invention is not limited to the particularembodiments shown and described herein, but is intended to include allchanges and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

1. A medical device operable in connection with a fluid container,comprising: a housing having a rearward opening forming a socketconfigured to receive the fluid container; a double-ended needle havinga forward sharpened tip and a rearward sharpened tip operable between aprojecting position in which the forward sharpened tip projectsforwardly from the housing and a retracted position in which the forwardsharpened tip is enclosed within the housing; a biasing element biasingthe needle rearwardly; a guide for guiding the needle when the needle isdisplaced between the projecting position and the retracted position,comprising: a track having an axial portion extending substantiallyparallel to the axis of the housing and a transverse portion extendingtransverse the axis of the housing; and a guide tab connected with theneedle and projecting into operative engagement with the track; a needleretainer releasably retaining the needle against the bias of the springbiasing element wherein upon actuation of the needle retainer, theneedle is released so that the biasing element displaces the needlerearwardly into the retracted position and the guide guides the needleduring retraction so that the needle is tilted transverse the axis ofthe barrel in the retracted position; and a generally cylindrical insertlining the interior of the rearward portion of the housing, comprising:a pocket formed in the wall of the insert for receiving and protectingthe rearward needle tip when the needle is disposed in the retractedposition; and a guide arm projecting forwardly and intersecting thetrack, the guide arm having a lower edge configured in the shape of thetransverse portion of the track, wherein the lower edge of the guide armforms a sidewall of the transverse portion of the track.
 2. The deviceof claim 1 comprising a button having a manually actable surface foractuating the needle retainer.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein thespring biasing element circumscribes the needle while the needle isdisposed parallel to the axis of the housing and also while the needleis disposed transverse the axis of the housing in the retractedposition.
 4. The device of claim 1 comprising a resiliently flexiblepierceable cover covering and sealing the rearward needle tip so thatupon inserting the fluid container into the housing, the rearwardsharpened needle tip pierces the cover and the fluid container deformsthe cover, wherein upon removing the fluid container, the coverresiliently extends to cover and seal the rearward needle tip to preventfluid front leaking out the rearward needle tip.
 5. The device of claim1 wherein the track comprises a groove formed in the interior wall ofthe housing.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises alocking aperture and the needle retainer comprises a radially deformablearm having a latch releasably engaging the locking aperture.
 7. Thedevice of claim 1 comprising a lock for locking the needle in theretracted position.
 8. The device of claim 1 7 wherein the lockcomprises a stop spaced from the rearward end of the track.
 9. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein the pocket is aligned with the transverseportion of the track.
 10. The device of claim 1 comprising a secondguide substantially similar to the first guide, spaced apart from andopposing the first guide.
 11. A medical device operable in connectionwith a fluid container, comprising: a housing having a rearward openingforming a socket configured to receive the fluid container; adouble-ended needle having a forward sharpened tip and a rearwardsharpened tip operable between a projecting position in which theforward sharpened tip projects forwardly from the housing and aretracted position in which the forward sharpened tip is enclosed withinthe housing; a biasing element biasing the needle rearwardly; a guidefor guiding the needle when the needle is displaced between theprojecting position and the retracted position, comprising: a trackhaving an axial portion extending substantially parallel to the axis ofthe housing and a transverse portion extending transverse the axis ofthe housing; and a guide tab connected with the needle and projectinginto operative engagement with the track; a needle retainer releasablyretaining the needle against the bias of the biasing element whereinupon actuation of the needle retainer, the needle is released so thatthe biasing element displaces the needle rearwardly into the retractedposition, and the guide guides the needle during retraction so that theneedle is tilted transverse the axis of the barrel in the retractedposition.
 12. The device of claim 11 comprising a pocket adjacent therearward end of the housing for receiving and shielding the rearwardsharpened needle when the needle is disposed in the retracted position.13. The device of claim 11 comprising a button having a manually actablesurface for actuating the needle retainer.
 14. The device of claim 11wherein the spring biasing element circumscribes the needle while theneedle is disposed parallel to the axis of the housing and also whilethe needle is disposed transverse the axis of the housing in theretracted position.
 15. The device of claim 11 comprising a resilientlyflexible pierceable cover covering and sealing the rearward needle tipso that upon inserting the fluid container into the housing, therearward sharpened needle tip pierces the cover and the fluid containerto deform the cover, wherein upon removing the fluid container, thecover resiliently extends to cover and seal the rearward needle tip toprevent fluid from leaking out the rearward needle tip.
 16. The deviceof claim 11 wherein the track comprises a groove formed in the interiorwall of the housing.
 17. The device of claim 11 wherein the housingcomprises a locking aperture and the needle retainer comprises aradially deformable arm having a latch releasably engaging the lockingaperture.
 18. The device of claim 11 17 comprising a lock for lockingthe needle in the retracted position.
 19. The device of claim 11 18wherein the lock comprises a stop spaced from the rearward end of thetrack.
 20. The device of claim 11 12 wherein the pocket is aligned withthe transverse portion of the track.
 21. The device of claim 11comprising a second guide substantially similar to the first guide,spaced apart from and opposing the first guide.
 22. A medical deviceoperable in connection with a fluid container, comprising: a housinghaving a rearward opening forming a socket configured to receive thefluid container, a needle having a forward sharpened tip operablebetween a projecting position in which the forward sharpened tipprojects forwardly from the housing and a retracted position in whichthe forward sharpened tip is enclosed within the housing; a biasingelement biasing the needle rearwardly; a first guide for guiding theneedle when the needle is displaced between the projecting position andthe retracted position: wherein the guide comprises a track and afollower attached to the needle and in operative engagement with thetrack, and a needle retainer releasably retaining the needle against thebias of the biasing element wherein upon actuation of the needleretainer, the needle is released so that the biasing element displacesthe needle rearwardly into the retracted position, and the guide guidesthe needle during retraction, pivoting the needle so that the needle istilted transverse the axis of the barrel in the retracted position; anda second guide substantially similar to the first guide, spaced apartfrom and opposing the first guide.
 23. The device of claim 22 whereinthe needle comprises a rearward sharpened tip, and the device comprisesa pocket disposed adjacent the rearward end of the housing for receivingand protecting the rearward needle tip to protect against inadvertentcontact with the rearward needle tip.
 24. The device of claim 23 whereinthe pocket is aligned with the track.
 25. The device of claim 22comprising a button having a manually actable surface for actuating theneedle retainer.
 26. The device of claim 22 wherein the device comprisesa needle hub attached to the needle, and the spring biasing elementcircumscribes substantially the length of the needle forward of theneedle hub while the needle is disposed parallel to the axis of thehousing and also while the needle is disposed transverse the axis of thehousing in the retracted position.
 27. The device of claim 22 whereinthe needle comprises a rearward sharpened tip, and the device comprisesa resiliently flexible pierceable cover covering and sealing therearward needle tip so that upon inserting the fluid container into thehousing, the rearward sharpened needle tip pierces the cover and thefluid container deforms the cover, wherein upon removing the fluidcontainer, the cover resiliently extends to cover and seal the rearwardneedle tip to prevent fluid from leaking out the rearward needle tip.28. The device of claim 22 wherein the track comprises a groove formedin the interior wall of the housing.
 29. The device of claim 22 whereinthe housing comprises a locking aperture and the needle retainercomprises a radially deformable arm having a latch releasably engagingthe locking aperture.
 30. The device of claim 22 comprising a lock forlocking the needle in the retracted position.
 31. The device of claim 2230 wherein the lock comprises a stop spaced from the rearward end of thetrack.
 32. The device of claim 22 comprising a second guidesubstantially similar to the first guide, spaced apart from and opposingthe first guide.
 33. The device of claim 23 wherein the pocket isaligned with the track.